The Israeli forces have systematically caused severe destruction to Gaza's education sector, with many universities either destroyed or repurposed as shelters for displaced families. This will have long-lasting effects on Gaza's 90,000 students and the region's educational future. **Below are the universities affected:** ## 1. Islamic University of Gaza Founded in 1978, over 17,000 students as of 2023 **Destruction**: Destroyed on **10 October**; accused by Israel of producing weapons without any evidence. Previously hit in 2008-2009 and 2014. [Major Asaf Fred,](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1799904047844991190.html) who was later in Rafah & a commander in IDF’s 460 Brigade, admits to the destruction of IUG university in Gaza, a court & Rimal neighborhood **without any military objectives**. He also called for the destruction of Amalekite cities + “‘no good arabs” On December 19 he posts a long Genocidal justification. Excerpt : *“Yes, this is how you destroy an enemy: Not only by killing its soldiers but also by destroying its symbols…..The destruction of the enemy's national symbols is a clear declaration that the games are over, and we want to win."* On March 1, he shares a satellite imagery of Younis: “Amazing! This is how it should be done to all the Amalekite cities. (Khan Yunis, during the IDF maneuver)”  In November 5, 2024, some remaining buildings of this University were used as military base by Israeli troops. "My alma mater @IUGAZA med school is now a military point in the middle of Gaza. This IOF soldier is bragging about intentionally causing a delay in the start of the academic year because of occupying it and destroying its teaching hospital!" writes on X @OsaidesserMD Palestinian Academic global surgeon   ## 2.Al-Azhar University Founded in 1991 during the First Intifada, 17,000 students and 12 faculties at its peak. Destruction: [Bombed by aistrikes](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231106-israeli-air-strikes-target-gazas-al-azhar-university/) **on 6 November**, heavily damaging the campus. And [blowed up ](https://x.com/EretzIsrael/status/1732885147844764051)on December 7. "On Shabbat, we loaded the mines, and I signed off on the shipment with a modification due to the sanctity of Shabbat,” First Master Sergeant David Zoldan, the operational officer of Company A of Israel’s 749 Battalion wrote in a Facebook post on December 20. “A few days later, we assembled them and booby-trapped one of Gaza’s symbols of the future—Al-Azhar University in the northern part of the strip—and blew it up.”  December 2023: Company A of the 749 Battalion was tasked with rigging up the south Gaza City campus of Al-Azhar University with explosives and detonating them, reducing Gaza’s second-largest university to rubble. On the footage, we can heard soldiers said "Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined” when they watch the powerful explosion. The mining and detonation of the University was released on his Social netework by the IDF soldiers of the[ 749 Combat Engineering Corps ](https://x.com/ytirawi/status/1835331007240655224)invluding : 1. David Zolden, Operational Officer 2. Arthur Davidov 3. Rafael Ben Ishay 4. Maya Radoszkowicz 5. Arik Tedler 6. Amit Yagodeev 7. Saar Hirshoren 8. Natvie Korkus 9. Yossi Nahari 10. Roman Dyachenko 11. Daniel Bedoya 12. Yehuda Efraim 13. Nathan Emergui 14. Eli Biton 15. Amit Viner 16. Rony Ifrach 17. Omri Felous 18. Royi Wickes 19. Netanel Levine 20. Yahav Hoffmann 21. Yahav Abr 22. Dor Osher 23. Adib In the following picture, Liad Ohayon, of Moroccan origin, serving in the Givati Brigade's Shaked Battalion celebrated the completion of their military service on the Al-Azhar University campus, which had been used as a military base and was subsequently detonated upon their withdrawal.  ## Al-Quds Open University Founded IN 1991 by the PLO, it's the largest non-campus university with 60,000 students across the West Bank and Gaza. Occupation : Turned into military barracks Destruction : bombed on **15 November**.   ## 3. Al-Israa University Founded in 2014 (Gaza's youngest university) Occupation : Its main building was occupied for 70 days by Israeli soldiers and [Destruction](https://www.news18.com/world/watch-israel-destroys-al-israa-university-in-gaza-drone-footage-captures-controlled-explosion-8746213.html) : on **17 January 2024** by a massive Blowing up (355 explosives) During a press conference on Thursday, a U.S. State Department Spokesperson was asked if Israa University was a legitimate target. To this, spokesperson Matthew Miller said, *“I don’t have independent information to verify that. But I can say that we continue to urge Israel to avoid damage to critical infrastructure – that would, of course, include universities – and to ensure the protection of humanitarian and medical sites.”* [According to ](https://x.com/ireallyhateyou/status/1767076644802462115)Itai Blumenthal (2024, 08:14 on March 11), it seems that the Brigadier General Hiram authorized the demolition of the Al Asraa University building in the south of Gaza City on the grounds that tunnels were dug under the building where terrorists were hiding. Since it is a sensitive building, Brigadier General Hiram was supposed to get permission in advance from the commander of the Southern Command. Two months later, the commander of the Southern Command recorded the "note" to the commander of Division 99 with the approval of Chief of Staff Halevi. ## 4. Palestine Technical College Founded in 1993 in Deir el-Balah, 1,800 students Now a shelter for displaced Palestinians. ## 5. University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) Founded in 1998 in Gaza City. 8,500 students in 2023 Had a start-up incubator for entrepreneurs.Shelled on 22 January while sheltering displaced families. Israeli occupation forces turn the University College of Applied Sciences into a military base in Augustus 2024.  ## 6. University of Palestine Founded in 2005. was a Shelter for displaced families; targeted on 17 January when Israel detonated over 300 mines. ## 7. Al-Aqsa University Began as a teacher training institute in 1955, evolved into a university by 2001. 26,000 students in 2022 Shelled on 22 January while housing displaced people. In May 2024, a picture of an IDF soldier (Tair Glisko. 424th Battalion, Givati Brigade) is released on the social media and is investigated by Younis Tirawi. Israel’s biggest newspaper, Yedioth Ahronot, reports this investigation and the response of Israel military: “This is a serious incident… an investigation was opened by the military police. The incident at the university is also being investigated at the senior levels”.  This autodafe was confirmed by Jake Godin in a [OSINT investigation](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1793700811870290179.html) ## 8. Gaza University Founded in 2006. 10 Faculties including law, education, and computer sciences. Destroyed by an airstrike in December. ## 9. Hassan II University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Established in 1992 in Beit Hanoun with Moroccan support Destroyed by Israeli forces in December. ## 10. Dar al-Kalima University: Gaza Training Centre Founded in 2020, Providing arts training and therapy for trauma-affected children. Destroyed during Easter Holy Week in late March. The destruction of these institutions highlights the severe disruption to Gaza's education system, impacting thousands of students and faculty and hampering educational and cultural development for future generations. Eight people were injured in a drone bombing targeting the University College of Applied Sciences, which houses displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis Source ## Letter from Palestinian Universities to students and faculty in Gaza Solidarity Encampments in US academic institutions [This letter was released the 1st May 2024.](https://www.birzeit.edu/en/news/letter-solidarity-palestinian-universities-nsjp-palestine-solidarity-movement-us-universities) *"In a moment of great darkness, your protests erupt and give hope for humanity that justice is not an abstract concept but a continuous struggle that connects us all. Your values are emancipating the university from structural racism and complicity with power and colonialism. The situation in Palestine has reached increased genocidal levels, marked by the mass targeting of Palestinian life by killing and displacement; the destroying of social, cultural, and all educational institutions; and the aim to reduce Palestinians to bare life with no political and collective future. You are leaders in the call for justice with your bodies on your university campuses and in the streets, speaking truth and justice loud and clear. You stand for the courage that is needed to take action strongly for justice and freedom and determinedly against systems of genocide and racism. We know the risks you are taking in face of the repressive measures that are taken against university spaces built on challenging the powers benefitting from silence. At a time when the voices of the oppressed are intentionally silenced, your solidarity serves as a beacon of hope. Your actions are a resounding message that injustice and oppression will not be tolerated. We draw inspiration from the courage of those who refuse and resist the continuing injustices of settler colonialism and military occupation. We welcome you at our universities in a liberated Palestine. Together,* Presidents of Palestinian Universities Prof. Omar Melad - President of Al-Azhar University of Gaza Prof. Kamalin Shaath - President of Islamic University of Gaza Prof. Hasan Abu Jarad - President of Gaza University Prof. Ayman Soboh - President of Al-Aqsa University Prof. Mustafa Abusafa - President of Palestine Polytechnic University Prof. Samer Najde - President of Al-Quds Open University Prof. Abdel Khaleq Alfaraa - President of Al-Israa University Prof. Jaber Alda'or - President of University of Palestine Prof. Abdelnaser Zied - President of An-Najah National University Prof. Talal Shahwan - President of Birzeit University Prof. Raghad Dwiek - President of Hebron University Prof. Imad Abu Kishek - President of Al-Quds University Prof. Ali Abuzuhre - President of Arab American University Prof. lyad Twal - President of Bethlehem University Prof. Husein Shanak - President of Palestine Technical University - Kadoorie Prof. Nour Aldeen Abu Aroub - President of University of Al Istiklal Prof. Imad Alzeer - President of Palestine Ahliya University Prof. Dawod Zataree - President of Al-Zaytoonah University of Science and Technology Prof. Matre Alraheb - President of Dar Al Kalema University Prof. Derar Alayan - President of Nablus University for Vocational & Technical Education" Sources : [1](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/24/how-israel-has-destroyed-gazas-schools-and-universities) [2](https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainer-gaza-israel-palestine-war-university-destroy) [3](https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-749-battalion-demolition-gaza) [4](https://euromedmonitor.org/en/article/6108Some)

- Mount Sabih is located between three Palestinian villages: Qabalan, Yatma, and Beita, south of Nablus. - **In May 2021**, Israeli settlers established the illegal outpost Evyatar on the mountain's highest peak. - A compromise was reached with Israeli authorities** in July 2021**, allowing settlers to return if the land is declared state-owned. -** On July 8, 2021**, Palestinian villagers petitioned the Israeli High Court to revoke this compromise, claiming ownership of the land. - The Israeli Supreme Court postponed its ruling until a decision on the land's status is made. - **In October 2021**, 60 dunams (15 acres) were declared state land, and a legal settlement was approved in February 2022, though no action was taken. ## 2023-2024 - **Incident at Beita Protest: On 6 September 2024**, American-Turkish Activist Killed: Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American-Turkish human rights activist, was shot in the head by Israeli forces during a protest in Beita, West Bank, and died from her injuries. Eygi attended a protest in Beita, near the Israel settlement of Evyatar. The protest, which is held weekly, calls for the end of settlement expansion in the West Bank. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire on protesters using live ammunition, stun grenades, and tear gas. Eygi was critically injured and later died at Rafida Hospital in Nablus.

## Summary of the situation in At-Tuwani (West Bank): ### Context and Location: At-Tuwani is a Palestinian farming village located in the southern West Bank near Hebron, home to approximately 1,600 people. Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, violence against Palestinian villagers has escalated dramatically. **Increased Settler Violence Post-October 7:** Following Hamas’s attack, Israel’s military presence in the West Bank increased, as well as settler aggression towards Palestinians. Settler violence, particularly by extremist groups, intensified. Incidents such as raids, destruction of property, and shootings became more frequent, aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land. Settlers have been emboldened, forming quasi-military forces and gaining new powers, such as the authority to arrest and declare closed military zones. ### Incidents in At-Tuwani: **October 12, 2023:** Settlers set up an observation post on land belonging to the Hureini family, cutting branches from fig trees and grapevines. When villagers confronted them, they were threatened with guns. **October 13, 2023:** A settler shot Zakariya Adra, a resident, in the stomach during an altercation. The shooting was filmed, and the settler faced no immediate consequences, though his gun license was revoked. **Januari 28, 2025,** A resident, Mohsab, was bringing building materials to his house with a truck when a settler approached and tried to intimidate him by saying that this building activity was not allowed. The settler then tried to use his qun to shoot the tires of the truck. **Impact on Agriculture and Livelihoods:** Attacks on crops and livestock have become more frequent, particularly during key points in the agricultural calendar, making farming nearly impossible for Palestinian villagers. Families in At-Tuwani have struggled to harvest their olives, plough their land, or graze livestock due to threats from settlers. **Human Rights Violations and Displacement:** Since October 7, more than 1,600 Palestinians have been displaced due to settler violence and military restrictions, including nearly 800 children. Settlers in At-Tuwani continue to intimidate villagers, obstruct their daily lives, and in some cases, threaten their survival. **Settler Communities:** Nearby Israeli settlements like Ma’on and its outpost Havat Ma’on are known for their violence against Palestinians. These outposts are illegal even under Israeli law but remain active and often unregulated. Settler ideology in some areas is deeply extremist, with leaders like **Yehoshafat Tor** openly advocating violence against Palestinians. **International Legal Context:** The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank is widely regarded as illegal under international law. The Geneva Conventions prohibit the transfer of an occupying power’s civilians into occupied territory. A July 2023 advisory ruling by the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal. **Crowdfunding and Demolitions** : In late 2022, Tor, a resident of Havat Ma’on, launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay off debts and complained about ongoing conflicts during Shabbat. He reported the theft of sheep worth about $130,000. Previously, the Israeli government had demolished buildings he and his wife built, a rare enforcement of demolition orders in illegal outposts. **Settler Violence Denial** : Veteran settler leader Daniella Weiss denied that settlers instigate violence against Palestinians, claiming that no Jew starts conflicts with Arabs. She argued that the controversy over settlers is part of a plan to create a Palestinian state, which she opposes. **Support from One Israel Fund**: The settlements of Ma’on and Havat Ma’on are supported by the U.S. charity *One Israel Fund*, which provides security equipment. Eve Harow, the fund’s tourism director, claimed these settlements prevent the creation of a “Jihadist entity” and protect Israel from potential massacres like those on October 7. **The Israeli military is closely linked to settlers**, with many soldiers coming from settlements. After the October 7 attacks, settlers were further mobilized to defend their communities. **In the West Bank near At-Tuwani, it’s often difficult to distinguish between soldiers and settler**s, as many settlers don military-style uniforms. Activists note that some settlers mobilized in recent months are more aggressive than regular soldiers, wearing far-right symbols like the Third Temple movement patch, symbolizing extremist beliefs about controlling religious sites in Jerusalem. **Betzalel Taljah's role:** Settler and Israeli military reservist. He leads a battalion responsible for security of 24 settlements, including Ma’on and Havat Ma’on. Blurs the distinction between settlers and military forces. He wears patches combining the Israeli flag with far-right symbols like the Punisher skull. Known for aggressive interactions with Palestinians and activists. He has intimidated farmers, searched phones for Gaza-related content, and used violence during confrontations. Frequently escalates tensions, often screaming and pointing his gun at Palestinians. He used to detained Palestinian shepherds and declared their grazing land a closed military zone for 30 days, depriving them of essential resources. **Historical context :** Since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, settlers have focused on expanding control, particularly in Area C, under full Israeli military authority. Many settlers believe they have a religious right to the land, while others move for economic reasons. Dror Etkes of Kerem Navot estimates settlers have taken over 37,000 acres of Palestinian land since October 7. In response to rising settler violence, the international community, including the U.S. and EU, has imposed sanctions on several settlers and groups. [https://ig.ft.com/west-bank/](url)

Khirbet Zanuta, a community in the southern West Bank, was displaced on November 1, 2023, due to settler attacks. Over 140 people, including the S. and N. families, fled the area. ## Chronology of Events: ### End of 2023 **October 7, 2023: Settlers began intensifying attacks after this date.** Settlers entered houses, cursed and threatened children. They threw stones at homes, preventing families from sleeping for 10 days. Settlers bulldozed and blocked the main road into Khirbet Zanuta. ### Settler Attacks on the Saleh S.’s family **October 31, 2023:** Six armed settlers attacked Saleh S.’s brother, Mahmoud. Mahmoud was detained, beaten, and choked by settlers. Mahmoud and Saleh recognized the leader of the settlers, who had been cutting water pipes and harassing the community with drones. **November 1, 2023:** The entire extended family fled after settlers threw rocks at them while they were leaving. The family rented trucks for 3,200 shekels (around $860) to move 300 sheep and left behind most of their belongings. They built new rooms near al-Dhahiriya but struggled financially without access to their lands. **Post-displacement:** The family paid 60,000 shekels (around $16,000) to build a new sheep shelter, but could not maintain the flock due to lack of access to water and land. ### Settler Attacks on the N. Family: Munir and Sara N., both 38, and their nine children also faced multiple attacks. **Early October:** Settlers, accompanied by soldiers, assaulted neighbors and destroyed property. A stun grenade was thrown inside the N. family’s home, terrifying their children. Settlers threatened the family, giving them 24 hours to leave or face being set on fire. The family rented trucks for 2,100 shekels (about $560) to move livestock. Repeated drone attacks by settlers caused sheep to panic, resulting in the death of 10 sheep. Munir’s family fell into debt and expressed a desire to return home if safety could be guaranteed. ### School Destruction: **October 7, 2023:** Schools in Khirbet Zanuta shifted to online learning, but families lacked internet devices. **November 20-21, 2023:** The local school, built with EU and UK support, was burned in an apparent arson attack and later bulldozed. The kindergarten, subsidized and affordable, was destroyed, leaving children like 4-year-old Nadia without access to early education. Education Losses: The destroyed school had 27 students from kindergarten to 6th grade. Civil society groups had partnered with the school for psycho-social support and health programs, which were lost after the school’s destruction. ### 2024 events **On April 17, 2024:** The human rights organization, Haqel: In Defense of Human Right, petitioned the Israeli High Court to instruct the army to protect five Palestinian communities from displacement threats and allow displaced families from Khirbet Zanuta to return, where the Israeli state attorney, in a February 20 response, claimed that no forced displacement had occurred in Khirbet Zanuta. ### **On March 1 : provocation and fabicated incident** A fabricated Car-Ramming Incident in Zanuta highlights a staged provocation by settlers to delegitimize activists documenting illegal outpost construction. - Activists arrived to document settlers establishing an outpost on Zanuta’s land, from which residents had been expelled twice before. Settler Ilai Federman staged a fake car-ramming incident, dramatically lying on the ground and falsely claiming he was hit. - **Settlers and Soldiers Escalate Tensions** – Despite obvious inconsistencies in Federman’s claims, settlers and soldiers arrived, declaring it an attack. Meanwhile, settlers used the chaos to expand their presence, intimidate activists, and push them off the land. - **Repeated Tactics of Misinformation** – Federman has a history of staging similar incidents to falsely accuse activists. The detained driver was released after questioning, proving authorities did not believe the accusations. The real purpose of such staged incidents is to generate misleading headlines that support settler expansion and discredit human rights activists, aiding the broader goal of displacing Palestinian communities. [Source https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/17/west-bank-israel-responsible-rising-settler-violence]

### Documenting a systematic pattern of targeting Civil Defense personnel both while working, and in their homes with their families. - As of September 8th, **2024, 83 members of Gaza's Civil Defense have been killed**, with the most recent being Colonel Mohamed Morsi, Deputy Director of Civil Defense in northern Gaza, who was martyred with a number of his family members after their home in Jabalia camp was bombed. ## Chronology - On October 23, after 21 days of siege, shelling, massacres, and constant threat on all the health system and the population, the civil defense in northern Gaza [has confirmed in a press conference](https://x.com/EyeonPalestine/status/1849204316919250999)that the entire North Governorate is no longer able to provide humanitarian services. All hospitals, including Indonesian, Al-Awda, and Kamal Adwan, are completely besieged. Many civilians remain trapped in their homes in Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun. Civil defense vehicles have been directly targeted, with the only vehicle in the North destroyed by Israeli artillery. The civil defense holds the Israeli occupation fully responsible for the lives of civilians and the kidnapping of their teams, condemning these actions as violations of humanitarian, ethical, and legal principles. - **On October 19, [a statement](https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/gaza-un-experts-decry-bombing-hospitals-and-schools-crimes-against-humanity)of the Human Rights Council Special Rapporteurs** already lists a large number of attacks on the health system, aid and health workers (entitled "Gaza: UN experts decry bombing of hospitals and schools as crimes against humanity, call for prevention of genocide") *"The UN experts called for the protection of all humanitarian workers, after the World Health Organization (WHO) documented more than 136 attacks on health care services in the occupied Palestinian territory, including 59 attacks on the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of at least 16 health workers since the beginning of hostilities on 7 October. Israeli bombardment on Gaza has also killed 15 staff of the United Nations Refugee Works Agency (UNRWA) and four Palestine Red Crescent paramedics in an ambulance. An ambulance driver of Magen David Adom in Israel lost his life while driving to treat injured people"* ## **Relevant articles:** "Israeli attacks kill at least 82 civil defense personnel, injure hundreds in Gaza since Oct. 7, agency says" [https://x.com/MiddleEastMnt/status/1825513095407563197](url) "An Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza has killed a senior aid official and four members of his family. His civil defense group fights fires and rescues people trapped in rubble. So why was he attacked?" [https://x.com/KenRoth/status/1832792115060867334](url) "What does it mean to be a Civil Defense worker in Gaza?" [https://x.com/palinfoen/status/1816903815230292270](url) "At least 82 Palestinian civil Defense personnel have been killed by the Israelis since October" [https://x.com/swilkinsonbc/status/1825157332688388170](url) WHO: [Israel Barring Aid Groups and Medical Specialists from Gaza](https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/1847149905267380417) The World Health Organization (WHO) has accused Israel of preventing medical specialists from entering Gaza to assist local clinics. Since August 2024, eight organizations and over 50 specialists have been affected by this blockade, limiting essential medical services and psychological support for healthcare workers. Notably, Israeli authorities denied entry to Glia and the Palestinian American Medical Association, marking the first time entire aid organizations have been barred from Gaza.

## **Historical context** **Since the Oslo Accords**, the West Bank has been divided into three zones: zone A, theoretically under total control of the Palestinian Authority, zone B, under Palestinian administrative and Israeli security control, **and zone C, totally controlled by the Israeli authorities**, which corresponds to 60% of the occupied territory and **where the illegal settlements under international law are located**. - The village of Susya, a village in the Masafer Yatta region, is in zone C, very affected by occupation and colonization. - Not far from the town, the Israeli army seized 3,000 hectares of land to make it a “restricted military zone”, called **“918 firing zone”**, where the movement of Palestinians is limited. - And above all, the village adjoins an **Israeli setttelment, also called Susya,** established since 1983 by settlers with radical ideology. - Although the Palestinian presence in Susya has been established since the beginning of the 19th century, the town is not recognized by the State of Israel. Since the 1980s, the village has been destroyed seven times. The last demolition dates from 2014. Three houses were razed. Each time, the residents rebuild, they don't want to leave. - In 2012, the village **first applied to enter the Israeli-administered master plan**, which allows West Bank localities to be recognized **for avoiding demolition and being connected to water and electricity networks**. - After two refusals, Susya launched a third request. - In Susya, 300 Palestinians live in makeshift and precarious settlements. Building real houses leads to their destruction by the Israeli army. On the roofs of houses, residents installed tarpaulins to hide from Israeli drones. As Susya is not recognized by Israel, residents are prohibited from building new facilities. But families are growing. - The size of the area designated for declaration is the largest since the Oslo Accords, and **the year 2024 marks a peak in the extent of declarations of state land**. Since the beginning of 2024, Israel has declared 23,700 dunams of the West Bank as State Lands. ## Recurrent events - Palestinian villagers face increasing violence and threats of expulsion from **radical Israeli settlers** and the Israeli army. - **Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace**, documenting the incidents, report daily provocations by settlers who damage Palestinian farmlands by bringing their sheep to graze on them. - Villages like Susya and At-Tuwani are heavily impacted. Despite being officially recognized by Israel, At-Tuwani's residents suffer attacks by settlers from nearby Israeli colonies. These attacks, including an incident where a local man, Zakaria Adra, was shot by a settler without any intervention by Israeli soldiers, are common. - The **UN has reported that the growing settler violence and expansion could amount to war crimes**. ## Consequences on the safety and livelihoods of Palestinians Farmers - Crops destroyed by settlers, further worsening economic hardships. - Despite reporting these incidents to Israeli authorities, there is little hope for justice. - The situation has left the community feeling isolated, constantly under threat, and forced to patrol their lands to defend against further settler aggression. Despite the pressure, some villagers remain determined not to leave their land. ## **Chronology** - **Since October 7**, 2023, Israeli army restrictions and settler violence have increased south of Hebron, in the Masafer Yatta region of the West Bank. Palestinians are fighting to preserve their right to stay on their land. - **On October 16**, 2023, Settlers attack Susya, block all its entrances with bulldozers, and destroy two water wells, fences, and areas planted with trees. - **On October 20,** 2023, two weeks after the start of the war, the Israeli army closed access to my village, Susya, with huge blocks of stone. It has become inaccessible for those who have a small car. - **On October 29**, 2023, settlers issued an ultimatum that if the villagers of Susya do not vacate in 24 hours they will return to kill residents. - **On February 3, 2024,** Israeli forces beat a young Palestinian man and arrested him while he was with his family on their land near the village of Susya in Masafer Yatta. - **On March 17**, 2024, Israeli extremists settlers attacked residents of Susya village. As well several shepherds has been chased by settlers in Massafer Yatta Israeli soliders confiscated a tractor for a farmer in Sheap al-Botom village. - **On April 2**, 2024 : two different attacks in two different places. Israeli settlers attacked and harassed Palestinian shepherd and the international activists in susya an Al_Asayfer villages, adn injuring a young man. - **On May 23**, 2024, activists staying with a threatened family discovered a fire in a nearby field started by a Molotov cocktail. The day before, **Shem Tov Luski**, from the "Susya Kaduma" outpost, visited the village with a young boy who threatened to kill a local resident. Although police were called to investigate, the responding officer, a settler from a nearby community, asked a few questions and quickly left without taking further action. - **On July 4**, 2024,The Higher Planning Council (HPC) approved today and yesterday (3-4/7/24) the advancement of 5,255 housing units in dozens of settlements throughout the West Bank. The building plans include the expansion of settlements deep within the West Bank and the legalization of three outposts : Mahane Gadi, **Givat Hanan (Susya East)**, and Kedem Arava as “neighborhoods” of existing settlements. Israeli Minister Strook described these months as 'like a time of miracles' in a recent recording where she spoke to Givat Hanan settlement residents near Susya about the increased construction in the occupied West Bank. - Givat Hanan (Susya East) (Plan 513/5) – The approval of the plan for the deposit of 107 housing units in the Susya settlement is actually **intended to legalize the Givat Hanan outpost, which was illegally established in 2019**. The outpost is located across an intercity road, disconnected from the Susya settlement. However, to avoid the need to declare a new settlement, it was decided to consider it a “neighborhood” of Susya and plan the construction of a bridge over intercity Road 317 to connect the two settlements. - **On Augustus 4**, 2024, masked Israeli settlers attacked foreign activists who were accompanying Palestinian farmers. - **On September 13**, 2024, [Israeli soldiers ](https://www.instagram.com/kivsa_shchora/reel/C_3r_GQNtfP/)invaded the village of Tuwani. They entered a private yard where, according to the settlers and some questionable archaeologists, remnants of an ancient synagogue are said to be located. The soldiers then walked through the village with their weapons raised, frightening the residents. Using archaeology as a pretext for dispossession and expulsion is a well-known Zionist practice. Just earlier the same day, it was reported that the army is using claims of archaeological findings in Zanuta to prevent people from rebuilding their homes, thus preventing them from living on their land. Residents of the nearby village of Susya were also expelled from their original homes in the 1980s using similar manipulations - **On October 18**, 2024, During the olives harvest, a violent clash occurs where the settelers injured one farmer and one activist, under the protection of the IDF soldiers. - **Since the beginning of 2025**, Masafering have reported about 15 major violent attacks in the village of Susiya and its agricultural lands. **January 1st, 2025**: Shem Tov Lusky arrived this morning to expel a resident of the village of Susiya who was grazing his flock on the lands of Wadi Umm Nir. Lusky whistled and chased after the flock in order to scare the sheep away and drive them off the pasture. Many times we have published documentation of Shem Tov harassing, expelling, and attacking Palestinian shepherds in the area. **January 10, 2025:** Just before midnight, four settlers arrived at the home of one of the families in the village, pelted the house with stones, and broke the security camera. When they were done, they left for the “Old Susiya” outpost belonging to the Lousky family. **On March 17, 2025,** at around 7:00 A.M., masked Israeli settlers armed with clubs arrived near the village of Susiya in Masafer Yatta and began throwing stones at village residents who were herding sheep in the area. More residents gathered at the scene, including B'Tselem field researcher Naser Nawaj'ah, who came to document the incident and called the police. In an attempt to defend themselves, the residents threw stones toward the attackers. During the incident, soldiers passed by in a civilian vehicle. They observed the event without intervening and continued driving. After about half an hour, a police officer arrived, allowed the settlers to leave, and detained Nawaj'ah in a police car for about an hour. Two residents were injured by stones in the attack. **On June 27, 2025**, during the night, Israeli settler militias attacked the village of Susiya.They assaulted and injured a Palestinian woman, vandalized several structures, and pelted homes with stones. **On June 29, 2025**, Israeli masked settlers raided the village. Clash erupted with residents. The settlers threw stones and rocks at the residents. Several Palestinians were injured, property was damaged. The army and police did not arrive. **On July 17, 2025**, around midnight, settlers raided a family's home on the outskirts of the village of Susiya, destroyed water tanks, and cut down 25 fruit trees. They fled the scene toward the outpost of Ancient Susiya. Early in the morning, settlers invaded the lands of the village of Fakhit and aggressively drove a flock of sheep off the pasture. **On July 24, 2025**, Israeli settlers destroyed grape crops belonging to Palestinian residents. **On July 30 & 31, 2025**, during two nights in a row, Israeli settlers have set fire to vehicles, attacking foreign activists’ cars in the village of Susiya. Settlers went to a family’s home, knocked forcefully, and sprayed pepper gas inside. They set fire to a solidarity activist’s car and a structure in the family’s yard. Firefighters contained the car fire, but it also destroyed the family’s water tanks. **On Augustus 2, 2025**, an extremist Israeli settler tried, with his ATV, to run over a Palestinian woman near the village of Susiya. **On Augustus 15, 2025**, at around 1 am, settlers arrived at the yard of a family home in the village of Susya. The family members were sleeping outside due to the intense heat, and were awakened by the sounds of the windows of the house and the car being smashed. They got up and tried to get to the house, but the settlers caught them and attacked them with stones and clubs. The father of the family was injured in the head and lost a lot of blood, and his arm was broken. As usual, the police arrived a very long time after the incident, and even then they did what they could to be of no use. The family members are being treated in a hospital. The injured couple was : ettlers attacked a home in Masafer Yatta. The names of the victims are Khader Jumaa Al-Nawaja'a and his wife Fatima Khalil Al-Nawaja'a. [Source 1](https://www.ledevoir.com/monde/moyen-orient/815485/masafer-yatta-ou-palestiniens-luttent-exister) [Source 2](https://x.com/MHureini), Palestine-Massafer Yatta. Activist &human right defender. [Source 3](https://peacenow.org.il/en/approval-of-5295-units-and-the-establishment-of-3-new-settlements) [source 4](https://x.com/Mistaclim/status/1793521067769712749)

Mohammed Al-Salhi, a photojournalist working for the Fourth Authority news agency, was shot dead near the Bureij Palestinian refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency Wafa, and the Journalist Support Committee (JSC), a nonprofit which promotes the rights of the media in the Middle East. [https://cpj.org/data/people/mohammed-al-salhi/](url) Palestinian journalist Mohammad El-Salhi was shot and killed on October 7, 2023, during an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, near al-Bureij refugee camp. Documented by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Journalists Support Committee, Al-Salhi’s death has prompted calls for a thorough investigation. Despite wearing a press helmet and flak jacket and clearly identifying as a member of the press, Al-Salhi was targeted and killed—an act that underscores the urgent need for accountability and measures to protect journalists. [https://www.justiceforall.org/resources/statements/accountability-in-the-killings-of-journalist-mohammad-al-salhi/](url) **Call for Investigation:** The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Israel Defense Forces to investigate El-Salhi’s death, make the findings public, and ensure the safety of journalists covering the Israel-Gaza conflict. **Sherif Mansour statement : (CPJ Middle East & North Africa coordinator):** "We urge the Israel Defense Forces to thoroughly investigate the killing of Palestinian journalist Mohammad El-Salhi, identify those responsible for the shooting, and hold them to account". Audrey Azoulay, ************UNESCO Director-General statement : *"I deplore the deaths of journalists Mohammad Jarghoun and Mohammad El-Salhi. The protection of journalists as civilians is a requirement under international law, including UN Security Council Resolution 2222/2015 on the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in situations of conflict. I call for full and diligent investigations to determine the circumstances of these tragedies."* **Context:** El-Salhi's death occurred during a large-scale Hamas attack on Israel, leading to retaliatory airstrikes. CPJ also mentioned that other journalists had been killed or injured in the conflict. **CPJ Report:** CPJ highlighted that in the last 22 years, 20 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces, with no accountability for these deaths. [https://cpj.org/2023/10/cpj-calls-for-investigation-into-killing-of-palestinian-journalist-mohammad-el-salhi-in-gaza/](url)

Since the October 7 outbreak of clashes between Gazan armed groups and the Israeli army, the Israeli army and settlers have launched continuous attacks on Palestinians. In Jericho, Qalqiliya, Ramallah, Hebron/Al-Khalil, Nablus and occupied East Jerusalem, raids and armed attacks by settlers have continued over the past three days. - At least 16 Palestinians have been killed between October 7 and October 10. - The Israeli army has indeed carried out raids throughout the West Bank and in the various neighborhoods and localities of occupied East Jerusalem. Around and within occupied East Jerusalem, attacks and confrontations with the population emerged from the first hours of the Israeli offensives. - In Jabal Mukkaber, in Issawya in the Old City and in the Shuafat refugee camp, clashes broke out between the population who came to show their solidarity with the Gazans under the bombs and the Israeli troops. - Scenes of clashes were reported from the vast majority of Palestinian neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem. This was particularly the case in the Shuafat refugee camp during the evening of October 8. ### On September 18, - a Palestinian child was killed evening by Israeli soldiers.The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported, quoting local sources, that a special unit of the occupation army stormed the camp to carry out an arrest campaign,** and fired live bullets at citizens, killing a child, Hani Al-Karr**i, who succumbed to his critical chest injury, and the injury of a young man. - The sources added that the Israeli forces sent military reinforcements to the camp, which led to the outbreak of confrontations, during which the occupation soldiers fired bullets, sound bombs and tear gas, noting that the occupation forces arrested five young men from the camp. - With the martyrdom of the Palestinian child, the death toll in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, since October 7, 2023, has risen to 707, including 161 children, 10 women and 9 elderly people. (QNA)

On February 17, Israel has sentenced 15-year-old child Mohammad Basil al-Zalbani, from Shuafat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem, to 18 years in prison and fined him 250,000 shekels (or to pay 300,000 shekels ($83,333) in compensation according to Palestinian Prisoner Society) Arrested at 13, he has been detained since Feb 2023. Israel accuses him of involvement in a soldier's death. His family's home was also demolished in November 2023. Palestinian Prisoner Society said Zalbani was arrested on Feb. 13, 2023, on charges of resisting the Israeli occupation. The boy, who has been detained for 2 years, was charged with the killing of an Israeli soldier. Zalbani was accused of involvement in the killing of an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint in the Shu’fat camp in 2023. However, the soldier was killed by his colleague's gunfire, and not by Zalbani. The Jerusalem District Court also ordered Mohammed Basel Zalbani, from the Shu’fat refugee camp, east of occupied East Jerusalem, to pay 300,000 shekels ($83,333) in compensation, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement. "The court convicted Muhammad Zalbani, who was 13 years old at the time, of aggravated murder for stabbing Staff Sgt. Asil Sawaed, 22 at a checkpoint near the Shuafat refugee camp." In Augustus 2023, Amnesty International has condemned Israel’s “punitive” demolition of Palestinian child detainee’s home, stressing he is being punished for a fault he did not commit. In a report the rights group said that the Israeli Supreme Court had approved “the punitive demolition of the family home of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy who has spent the past six months in pre-trial detention on unfair charges.” “In February 2023, Mohammed Zalabani stabbed an Israeli border police officer on a bus at a checkpoint in the Shu’afat refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem. He was overpowered, but moments later a private Israeli security guard accidentally shot the officer dead.” According to Amnesty, the autopsy confirmed that the Israeli officer was not killed by the Palestinian child, who was charged with his murder, and is now awaiting trial in a juvenile facility.

## A. The murder **On 11 May 2022**, Al Jazeera American-Palestinian reporter Shireen Abu Akleh and a group of five other journalists arrived at Balat Al Shuhada’ street in Jenin to report on a raid on the nearby refugee camp by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The journalists wore prominent ‘PRESS’ vests that identified them as such, from both the front and back, and followed standard protocols for self-identification as they slowly approached a convoy of five armoured Israeli military vehicles parked along an unnamed street intersecting Balat Al Shuhada’. The Israeli army vehicles were approximately 200 metres south of the journalists. **The journalists present during this incident were:** 1° **Shireen Abu Akleh** (fatally hit in her head) 2° **Shatha Hanaysha** (first eye witness under the fire standing near Shireen when Shireen was shot and killed) 3° **Ali Al-Samoudi** (injured in the shoulder) 4° **Mujahid al-Saadi** 5° **Muhannad Nairoukh** 6° **Majdi Bannoura** **At 6:31 AM**, an **Israeli army special forces marksman** (different from ‘snipers’, they are part of a standard fighting squad: their task is to target shots more accurately than regular troops using guns having a bio-pod and an optical scope such as Trijicon ACOG x4) fired the first burst of six bullets directly at the group of journalists from a sniper hole in the military vehicle at the front of the Israeli army convoy. One of the shots **hit journalist Ali Al-Samoudi in the shoulder**. **Eight seconds later**, as the journalists attempted to take cover, the Israeli army marksman fired a second burst consisting of a further seven distinct gunshots, once again targeting the journalists. One of those bullets **hit Shireen Abu Akleh in the head**, fatally wounding her. **Two minutes later**, an unarmed civilian, Sharif al-Azab, attempted to deliver first aid to Shireen, and he, too, **was fired at with three distinct gunshots**. See the **[Timeline of the incident reconstructed by Forensic Architecture](https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/the-extrajudicial-killing-of-shireen-abu-akleh-extended-report/#anchor-6)** She was transported to [Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-al-jazeera-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh-shot-dead-jenin), where she was pronounced dead, at the age of 51. The injured journalist, Ali Samoadi, of the Al-Quds newspaper, was shot in the back but survived. ## B. The aftermath of the murder ### On May 11, 2022 : The Israeli military and [Israel's US embassy tweeted a video of Palestinian gunmen in Jenin firing down an alley](https://x.com/naftalibennett/status/1524300920959508484), suggesting they were responsible. However Israeli NGO B'Tselem visited the scene where that footage was taken, and said it was impossible for Abu Akleh to have been hit from there. ### On May 13, 2022 : Abu Akleh’s body was brought from Jenin, where she was killed by Israeli forces on Wednesday, to Jerusalem via Nablus and Ramallah, in a procession where Palestinians paid their respects. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he would take Abu Akleh’s case to the International Criminal Court in an effort to get justice for the veteran reporter, who joined Al Jazeera in 1997, and was an icon in Palestine and the wider Arab world. In a scene that violates all norms and International laws, the Israeli occupation forces stormed the French Hospital in Jerusalem and attacked the mourners of the late Shireen Abu Akleh at the start of the funeral procession. They severely beat the pallbearers of the late journalist. Israeli forces beat crowd of mourners carrying coffin of Shireen Abu Akleh ahead of funeral in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinians have gathered for the funeral service, before Abu Akleh is taken to the Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery, where she will be buried alongside her late parents. Sources [1](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/13/mourners-bid-farewell-to-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh-live-news) [](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/INTERACTIVE-Journalists-killed-by-Israeli-forces-1.png?w=770&resize=770%2C770&quality=80) ## C. Independant Forensic Architecture Investigation ### General conclusion of the investigation : 1) The journalists were clearly identifiable as press/non-combatants to the Israeli army marksman. 2) The Israeli army marksman deliberately and repeatedly targeted Shireen and her fellow journalists with the intention to kill. 3) The attack on Shireen and her journalist colleagues occurred during a period without risk to the Israeli army marksman’s life or that of other soldiers. There were no shots other than those of the Israeli marksman fired at the time and no armed individuals in the vicinity of the journalists. 4) Shireen was deliberately denied first aid after being shot by the Israeli army. ### Conclusions of [Audio and acoustic analysis](https://content.forensic-architecture.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022.11.02_Final-Audio-and-Acoustic-Analysis-SAA-Report.pdf) | Gunfire *before,during and after the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh by Researcher in charge: Dr. Lawrence Abu Hamdan:* The shooter fired a semi-automatic weapon from approximately 180 metres away from Shireen Abu Akleh. This shooter pulled the trigger on seven separate occasions within two seconds making the claim that at no point was there any intentional gunfire carried out by IDF soldiers in a manner intended to harm the journalist” highly improbable. All gunshots audible in the 2 minutes prior to the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh are fired from the same position. No other shots in this recording are firing towards the military position from the the vicinity of Shireen Abu Akleh and her colleagues. This report finds no evidence to support the claims that life-threatening, widespread and indiscriminate shots were fired toward IDF soldiers.” The journalist was not “present in the area during an exchange of fire. . [The online report with videos](https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/shireen-abu-akleh-the-targeted-killing-of-a-journalist) [the PFD Complete report](https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/the-extrajudicial-killing-of-shireen-abu-akleh-extended-report/) [](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FdImqLUXEAYqzil?format=jpg&name=4096x4096) ## D. International statements **On October 13, 2022 UN human rights experts** [have condemned the killing](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/13/un-experts-condemn-shireen-abu-aklehs-killing-demand-probe) of Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, and called for a prompt, transparent, thorough and independent investigation into her death. *“The killing of Abu Akleh is another serious attack on media freedom and freedom of expression, amid the escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank.(...) We demand a prompt, independent, impartial, effective, thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, in full compliance with the Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-Legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions (The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death). We urge the Israeli and Palestinian authorities and other stakeholders to cooperate with such an investigation."* **Powerful statement by Shireen Abu Akleh’s family** saying they are “incredulous” after the State Department released its finding, calling it “insulting to Shireen’s memory.”  ## E. Further linked incidents againt press freedom and Shireen Memory Her funeral was [assaulted by Israely Security Police](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/13/mourners-bid-farewell-to-journalist-shireen-abu-akleh-live-news)throughout the procession in Jerusalem, with the coffin bearers being violently beaten with batons and prevented from moving forward. The coffin nearly fell to the ground multiple times. All of these scenes were filmed and broadcast around the world. The White House denounced the violence as “deeply disturbing.” Her memorial, located at the site where she was killed, was desecrated by Israeli forces during a raid in Jenin in October 2023. A D9 Caterpillar bulldozer was used to clear the road and destroy the street mural commemorating her. During the Israeli raid on the Al Jazeera office to shut it down in September 2024, the poster in memory of Shireen that adorned the façade was immediately removed and torn apart in full view of the cameras. Her colleagues, and particulary Shatha Hanaysha, were subjected to threats and attempts on their lives while covering stories. On September 19, Israeli forces [violently arrested](https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/1839358600449290417) prominent Palestinian journalist Mujahed al-Saadi, breaking into his home in the middle of the night in Jenin, an illegally occupied part of the West Bank. Al-Saadi had been present when the IDF shot and killed Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022 and had recently reported for Drop Site during Israel’s brutal 10-day siege of Jenin.